Ep. 7

"You can go now," Mr. Wang said. The students in the room swiftly rose up as they took their books with them. 

It was the end of another class. Jialin was unsure about what she would do afterward. She had barely begun on her project, and she didn't know if Zhang was free to discuss it with her.

She turned to face him, only to realize he had already left his seat. She looked up, but she didn't see him among any of the leaving students.

'Huh,' she thought, rising to leave the class. He must have left before she could talk to him.

Seconds later, Chunhua found herself walking along the hallway. She was browsing her phone for messages while she looked around for Zhang. She didn't spot him, and her multitasking had her bump into someone. 

"Bohai?" she called out in surprise once she noticed who it was. 

"Hey, Chunhua," he replied, slightly disturbing his crew cut with his fingers. His body language showed he was nervous.

Bohai was Zhang' friend. They both shared the same height that ranged around six feet. His features consisted of black hair, entrancing blue eyes and a defined jaw on his square face. He was also muscular in form, and all that accounted as to why he was considered attractive by most of the female population in the university. Unlike Chunhua, Bohai was a senior pursuing a Business degree in the university.

"Can we talk?" he asked with a serious expression.

"Sure," she replied. He turned, and she followed him. The two passed a couple of classes until they reached one that was unoccupied. Once Jialin had entered the room, Bohai turned to close the door.

Chunhua's nerves got the better of her when she realized she was talking to Bohai. Just like she had done with Zhang, Chunhua had been avoiding him. It was much easier for her to do so because his classes were in another building on the campus grounds. She could even count the number of times she saw him in every semester so far, and they were usually at the college parties.

It made her wonder why he wanted to speak to her.

"I talked to Zhang," he said, and that had Chunhua confused. "He mentioned you and what had happened in high school."

'Oh,' Chunhua thought. It dawned on her that he knew what she had told Zhang.

"I can't believe he told you," she complained.

"We're friends. Of course, he did," Bohai said with a smile that lasted a second. "I hope you're still not bugging yourself with it."

"It's not that easy, Bohai," she decided to be honest.

"But it should be," he told her. 

Jialin sighed. "It doesn't change anything. A part of me still feels responsible for everything."

Bohai went to say something, but he decided to keep quiet.

"What?" she inquired.

"You are right," he replied. "I can't lie and say you did nothing wrong. Even I am responsible for it, whether we like it or not."

Chunhua sighed, letting Bohai's words dawn on her.

"I won't go through some of the stuff that I know you talked with Zhang. Yes, shit happened when we were still teenagers. Yes, we did nothing to stop it. But Chunhua, we were teenagers at that time. We were still kids."

"But we could have done something to stop it."

Bohai sighed.

"We were all cowards. Tell me, Chunhua, would you have stood up to Darcy?"

Chunhua hesitated to answer.

"No, and I would have done the same thing," he answered for her. "You and I know the kind of hell she could have brought onto us." 

Bohai shuddered.

"But on a serious note, why are you still bothering yourself with it?" he asked, puzzled. Chunhua's expression showed she was surprised by the question.

"It happened years ago, Chunhua," he continued, not giving her a chance to speak. "Do you think that anyone we know is bothering themselves with it?"

"Bohai--"

"The answer is no. No one is bothering themselves with it. Don't you remember what happened after the whole incident with Emma?"

Chunhua was unsure of how to reply.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you were at the hospital. I'm surprised it took you a lot of time to recover," he said, and she tensed. She hoped he wouldn't ask about that.

"But anyway, things changed. The school was in the center of the media's attention that lasted for months. You know how that ended."

Chunhua remembered reading that on the news.  People found out about the bullying and how ignorant the teachers were towards it. The students had already begun transferring to other schools, and that was before the learning institution got shut down.

"No one wants to remember the events of that day. No one wants to associate themselves with it. We all want a fresh start, just like you, Zhang and me. That's why I'm studying here in the first place."

"So, yes. There is no one to blame but everyone who was there. We all played a part in it, and we did nothing to stop it. It's our fault as much as it is yours. So, let it go."

"I understand, Bohai," she said. "But don't you hate me? I mean, I was there when Darcy started bullying everyone in high school."

"To be honest, I did. So did Zhang."

Chunhua nodded, not feeling surprised by the answer.

"But we watched you, and you helped us figure that we couldn't hate you anymore."

"Huh?" Chunhua replied. "How? I don't understand."

"You showed us a side of you we didn't know exists. At first, we thought you would be a bitch like Darcy."

"What?" Chunhua screeched, taking offense.

"But you proved you are actually a nice person. Also, it is pointless to hold a grudge against someone who barely understood what was happening in the past. You do remember how you were in the past, right?"

"How could I forget?" Chunhua drawled out. Bohai smiled at that.

"My main point is that we are in college now, and college means new beginnings. We are preparing ourselves for what the future has in store for us. Keeping ourselves stuck in the past will make that impossible. So I'm asking you again, Chunhua, to stop thinking about it. It was solved a long time ago. Do not let it define the last years of college that you have here."

Jialin's heart swelled with every word that came from Bohai's mouth. She had not known him to be quite a motivational speaker. 

"You are right, Bohai," Jialin said, and he smiled. "Zhang kind of told me the same thing. But it's just that seeing the two of you here..."

She sighed before saying: "I worried that you guys would come after me. I know it may feel too late to ask this, but do you forgive me for all--"

"There is nothing to forgive," Bohai cut her off, making her frown.

"But you guys were bullied, and that incident--"

She was cut off by a hug from him. She released a sigh as she relaxed in his hold, already knowing the answer to her question. 

"You didn't have a role in all of that, even though you were friends with Darcy. I have nothing to hold against you, so there is no need to apologize," Bohai said, and Jialin sighed in relief.

"Well then, it's been great," he said with a grin, ending the hug with a pat on her back. "I knew I had to see you. I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too," Chunhua replied.

"Now if you will excuse me, I have a class to go to. Catch you later?"

"Sure," Jialin replied with a smile. Neither of them made a move to exit the room.

"Aren't you going out?" she asked, confused. Bohai grinned.

"This is my class," he said just as a girl entered the room. She turned, spotting the two of them, and that had her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh. Okay," Chunhua blushed, rushing to leave the class. 

She walked on the hallway floors, feeling lighter after the chat with Bohai. For a moment, she had no idea of where to head to next. Then she remembered her group project with Zhang, and that had her turning towards the direction of the library.

It took her a couple of minutes to reach her destination, and it took her another one to settle at her usually secluded spot.

Well, it had been secluded at one point. Zhang had started occupying the space ever since he had been assigned to do the project with her. Chunhua had been wary at the beginning, but as time passed, she found herself growing fond of him.

"Hey!" he greeted, and Jialin replied with a bored look.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Bohai wanted to talk to me?" she said as she occupied her seat in front of him.

Zhang was surprised. "Already? Wow. I didn't expect that."

"Zhang!" Chunhua chastised him.

"Okay, okay," he said. "He told me he wanted to see you. I thought it would be today, and so I didn't tell you anything in case you planned to avoid him again."

Jialin kept giving Zhang her bored look.

"Why? Did he flirt with you? Did he touch you inappropriately?"

Chunhua rolled her eyes at him. "I have known that friend of yours since high school. Believe me when I say I am not interested."

Zhang looked more confused.

"Really? Did you notice the hair? The eyes? His muscular form?"

Jialin eyed him with doubt in her eyes.

"Are you sure you are not gay for your friend?" she questioned, and the look Zhang gave her in reply made her want to laugh.

"Chunhua, did he try anything?" Zhang asked again.

"No, Zhang, he didn't. We got to talk about stuff."

"Do you regret having seen him?"

Jialin took her time to reply. "Actually, no. He helped me see the past in a way I hadn't before. I am glad about it."

"What did he tell you exactly?" Zhang asked.

"Something about letting go of the past," she answered. "And Zhang, do you forgive me for bullying you in high school?"

Zhang looked at her as if she had asked a stupid question.

"I am over it. I forgive you. Didn't you get this after the talk we had on that party?"

Chunhua grinned. Then she turned her attention to the project they had to do.